Solenoid operated valve



MY Z5, 1943. N. c. PRICE SOLENOID OPERATED VALVE Filed April 18, 1941 I Ffa-I O 4 mzz 4 FIG-TE @i I X Patented May 25,1943

UNITED s'ni'rlazsA PATENT oFFicE SOLENOID QPERATED VALVE Nathan C. Price, Hollywood, Calif., assignor to Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif.

Application April 18, 1941, Serial' No. 389,218

2 Claims. (Cl. 137-139) erated pilot; valve not subjected to unbalancedv hydraulic forces and, therefore. not requiring a' largesolenoid, or a heavy current draw for operation. p

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved remotely controlled valve of the type described wherein a solenoid operated pilot valve upsets the hydraulic balance of the valve to cause iiuid pressure to close or op'en the main valve.

It is a further object 'of this invention to prol vide a uid valve of the type described `wherein a solenoid operates a pilot valve 'energizing the main valve, the solenoid being so mounted in a shell as to form 'av stationary piston telescoping into the movable part of the valve to induce a hydraulic unbalance therein for self operation of the valve by the uid pressure acting thereon. the iiow. of iluid between the valve and piston serving to cool the solenoid.

It is also'an object of this invention to provide a hydraulically operated valve wherein unbalanced hydraulic forces are created by the operation of a solenoid controlled pilot valve, the hydraulically operated valve being capable of being either opened or closed by energization of the solenoid according to the arrangement of operation of the latter.

Other and` further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specicationand the accompanying drawing.

This invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in a form suitable for use in .the fuel lines of an airplane, and the embodiment chosen for the primary illustration is intended to provide an emergency shut-oi lof the fuel supply from a given tank, upon energization of the solenoid.

' As shown inthe drawing;

Figure I is a plan view of a fuel valve embody ing the features of this invention, as applied to an emergency shut-off valve.

Figure II is a central vertical section on the e JI-II of Figure I, showing the valve in its normal open position.

' 24 of highly magnetic properties, the shell 2l and able manner, as by threading or silver'soldeiing.`

Figure III is a fragmentary section similar-toI Figure lIvshowing the valve closed due to energization of the solenoid.

Figure IV is a fragmentary showing of the pilot valve modified to operate l.this valve, a normally closed one, to be opened by energization of the solenoid.

The embodiment of this invention chosen for illustration purposes in Figures I to III, is intended to be applied as an emergency shut-oir valve in the fuel lines to each of a number of engines. the individual valves being remotely controlled `by electric circuits for energizing the solenoids when it is desired to shut off one or more fuel lines. p

The valve of this invention can be arranged to either open or close a liquid line upon energization of the solenoid, merely by suitably arranging the direction of motion of the solenoid armature relative to the pilot valve seat in the main valve. For illustrative purposes,V the rst form of -the lnvention has been chosen to show the valve arranged to be closed by the solenoid, the valve being self-opening upon opening the electrical circuit. A

A suitable body I0 is provided with an inlet II and outlet I2 forconnection to suitable conduits. The body is provided with a top opening I3 in line with the outlet I2 to form a valve and solenoid chamber I I, the vertical position of the operating axis being preferable to minimize friction, but not being essential to the invention. A valve seat I5, preferably of a resilient rubber-like ma` terial, is 'positioned in a groove in the body III between the valve chamber and the outlet.

A solenoid I8, comprising a plurality of turns bf insulated wire wound on a non-magnetic spool Il, has its electric terminals I8 brought out to a connecting plug, the enclosing shank I9 of which is secured to a shell 20 emfbracing the solenoid and having a flange 2i engaging the opening `I3 of the valve body, the flange being secured Vto the valve bodyIU by screws to seal the solenoid in place in the opening.

The lower end of the shell 20 is closed in at 22 to embrace a neck 2l on a stationary armature armature 24 being secured together in any suit- 1The stationary armature 24 in turn supports -a non-magnetic sleeve 25` forming a hollow core inside the solenoid spool, th upperend of the sleeve extending above the solenoidspool and being threaded at 2i to receive acollar 2l closing the open end of the shell 20.

A movable amature 28 is slideable in the sleeve ion ofjFlgure II..

25 and carries a depending valve stem 29 which passes through a central aperture in the stationary armature 2l, the valve stem and armature 28 being drawn downwardly against the stationary armature 24 upon excitation of the solenoid. This movement of the armature is resisted by a light coil spring 30, one end'of which rests under a collar 3| on the armature 28 and the other end on matching shoulders 32 and 33 in the sleeve 25 and on the armature 28, the arrangement being such that alignment of the shoulders determines the upper limit of armature travel. The upper end of the sleeve 25 is sealed by means of a cap 34 threaded thereon, removal of the cap permitting removal of the armature 28 and the valve stem 29 carried thereby.

` That part of the sleeve 20 which projects into the valve body forms a stationary piston relative 4to a cup-like poppet 35 which slides thereon with suicient clearance to allow limited passage of the liquid being handled, thus transmitting the liquid pressure to the interior of the poppet. The clearance necessary may vary with the type of fluid being handled, in the case of gasoline I have found that ve-thousandths of an inch CII on the diameter will satisfactorily energize the l poppet valve when the hydraulic pressures inside and outside are unbalanced, as will now be described. i

The lower endof the poppet valve 35 is formed with a central passage dening an interior seat 31 against which a shoulder 36 on the valve stem e is adapted to seat, this shoulder forming a pilot valve. A reduced extension 38 of the stem 29 projects through the passage and carries a pin 39- in its extremity, to limit-relative movement between the poppet 35 and stem 29. The length sure acting on the external surfaces thereof above the valve seat. It will be noted from Figure II that the clear a'rea of the outlet is smaller than the diameter of the poppet valve, and this annular area will be acted on by the inlet fluid pressure while the pressure within the valve 35 will be substantially released by the opening of the pilot valve 36, even though liquid continues'to flow into the interior of the valve 35, due to its clearance on the stationary shell 20. This continued flow of liquid, whilethe pilot valve is unseated, serves to rapidly cool the solenoid after release thereof, and while the main valve is closedl a considerable area of the solenoid is directly exposed to the liquid, thus preventing overheating of the solenoid. x

The fragmentary showing of Figure IV substitute's a valve disc 40 for the pin 39, this disc seating against the end or nose of the poppet valve 35 and therefore reversing the action of the pilot valve, the solenoid spring serving to normally hold the valve disc 40 against its seat,

valve closes and the main or poppet valve will of the unreduced portion of the valve stem is so adjusted that the shoulder 36 is held off the seat, 31, with the valve open in the position shown in Figure II, lthus equalizing uid pressures inside and outside the poppet valve 35.

The available outlet opening at the point of the poppet valve 35, which is controlled by the pilot valve 36, is so proportioned relative to the clearance between the piston 20 and poppet valve 35 that substantial release of liquid pressure within 'the poppet valve is obtained by opening the pilot valve. g

Upon energization of the solenoid I6, the movable armature 28 is drawn downward .to seat the pilot valve 36. The solenoid need only be strong .enough to overcome the spring 30 as it is not required to move the poppetvalve 35. Closing the pilot valve in this manner builds up a fluid vpressure within the poppet valve, which is of greater diameter than the valve seat I5, sorthat the inlet pressure acting on. the inside of the poppet valve is capable of closing the main valve. As long as the solenoid is excited, the pilot valve 36 will remain closed and the movable armature will follow the downward or seating movement of the poppet valve, the speed of closing of the latter being accelerated by liquid ow from between the shell 2'0 and the valve 35, since fluid must enter this space to permit movement of the valve 35. A

In order to .reopen the valve,deenerg1zation of the solenoid I6 allows the ,movable armature 28 .to be'returnedby the spring 30 to the posi- It does notsnap back, however, because of the pin 39, but yieldingly holds the pilot valve"'36"nfl.' `itsseat 3'I as the poppet n valve 35 islifted by the unbalanced iiuid presbe forced toits seat by fluid pressure.

It will thus be seen that I`have invented an improvedandsimplified solenoid operated'valve that can be arranged to either open or close a iiuid line by means of unbalanced ,fluid pressures created by the operation of a pilot valve by a solenoidLthe solenoid being partially im- -mersed in the uid and serving as a guide for the uid actuated valve.

Having thus described my invention and the present preferred embodiments thereof, I-desire to emphasize the fact. that many modications may be resorted to in a manner limited only by .a just interpretation of the following claims.

Iclaim: v /l/In an electrically controlled fluid valve, a' body having suitable inletv and outlet passages, a valve chamber and a valve seat in said chamber adJacent said outlet passage, a shelll forming a stationary pistonprojecting into said valve chamber in spaced alignment with lsaid valve seatna cup-like valve member adapted Ain one position to engage said seat and\guided upon said stationary piston, said valve member havthe inlet to the outlet and being limited by the clearance ing sufficient clearance thereon to permit leak.- ege of fluid intothe interior thereof `and having a central outlet passage for the release of fluid so leaking. thereinto, a solenoid positioned in said shell, a non-magnetic sleeve within said solenoid, said sleeve having .an internall shoulder intermediate the end thereof, Aa'. stationary masnetic armature secured to one end of said sleeve, a movable armature slideable Awithin said sleeve upon energization of said solenoid, said movable armature 'having an intermediate shoulder aligned with the shoulder in said sleeveA when the armature is--in its'unenergizedposition, a coil spring having one end fixed relative to the armature and the other end cooperating with both said shoulders whereby to permit preloading or4 saidspring,l and a pilot valve carried by -ing inlet and outlet passages and a valve seat intermediate thereof, a valve controlling the passage through said valve seat, a solenoid chamber, an annular solenoidl within said solenoid chamber, cooperating xed and movable armatures centrally disposed in said solenoid, a sleeve associated with the fixed armature within which sleeve the movable armature slides, means connecting the movable armature to the valve, said sleeve having an internal shoulder in cooperavtive relationship with an external shoulder on the movable armature, and a coil spring having' one end xed relative to the movable armature and 4the other end cooperating with both said shoulders when the solenoid is not energized, whereby to permit preloading of said spring on said movable amature.

NATHAN C. PRICE. 

